Posted on 04/26/2022 11:36:41 PM PDT by Pilgrim's Progress
“Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel. Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off” (Proverbs 27:9-10).
“Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart,” when you smell them, they kind of pick you up.
This is a very simple philosophy of life in verse 9 and 10.
“For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish” (II Corinthians 2:15).
A Christian is sweet when he gives hearty counsel to his friend. He is sweet. He is the savour of God, of life unto life. Anything that is alive smells good. It is death that smells bad. Even fresh cooking meat doesn’t smell good until it is cooked. You can’t let it lay around very long, or it won’t smell very good.
Hearty counsel is a sweetness to the one that needs to hear it. Hearty counsel, not “head” counsel; but counsel from the heart, trying to help. You’ve really got a burden to help, and not to hinder.
“Thine own friend,” now if it is from the heart, that means like in Matthew 18:15 if you had something against your brother, you go to him and pour out your heart to him.
“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted” (Galatians 6:1).
“Considering thyself,” in other words you go to him from the heart to help. That's hearty counsel, and that's a good smell to that man. That touches his heart.
“Thine own friend,” we’ve all heard the expression, “any friend of his is a friend of mine.” Well, consider this; “Thine own friend, and thy father's friend.” Any friend of my dad’s is a friend of mine. I know my dad was a good man. I know that any friend of his would have to be right and outstanding, or my dad wouldn’t fool with him. Any friend of my dad is a friend of mine. Any friend of my Father in heaven is also a friend of mine.
“Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not,” don't forsake him in the time of need.
“Neither go into thy brother’s house in the day of calamity,” now the reason is; “for better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off.” I mean, when you get in trouble, don't forsake your friend. If you helped him in trouble, then go to him when you get in trouble. One that's close nearby, a brother or a sister in Christ. But to go back to a relative that lives for off? They’ll look down their nose at you most of the time anyway.
You may have had that happen to you. It's better to go to the individual that has a real concern for you. I mean, if all the concern they got for you is just blood; they say that blood is thicker than water, but that's just until trouble comes around. For their own benefit that might be true, but the day you get in trouble you better go to somebody that knows you, and he has been helped by you and you’ve been a blessing to. You’re off better off going to that person that is close to you, spiritually and physically, then somebody that's not.
This will be true of the Jew in the Tribulation. He’d better leave his brothers alone. Why? According to Zechariah 13:9, two thirds of Israel will take the Mark of the Beast. God destroys 2/3 of them. I assume that's what they do. So, what should that Jew do? He's in the day of calamity, isn’t he? The Tribulation. So, whom should he seek out? What does Matthew 25 say? There would be some nations that will take care of that Jew, isn’t there. He’d be better off seeking a friend of the Jew during the tribulation, than his own brother.
If he goes to his brother, his brother will turn him over to the Antichrist. That's in Matthew 25:32 on. That deals with the judgment of the nations where the nations are judged for their care for the Jews during the tribulation. Some of the nation’s took care of the Jew, and clothed them, and fed them, and visited them in jail and so forth and so on. Matthew 25:32 on.
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